Pivotal seats flooded with grant cash

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As much money flowed to one Tasmanian seat - which the
Government took from Labor at the election - as to all of NSW and
Victoria under the controversial Regional Partnerships program, a
leaked document reveals.

The seat of Bass received $11.5 million under the grants scheme,
about a fifth of the funding handed out Australia-wide, the
Department of Transport and Regional Services email, dated November
12, shows.

Nearly 80 per cent of the $58 million pledged during the
election was allocated to projects in the crucial "swing states" of
Queensland and Tasmania.

Tasmania, which has about 2.3 per cent of the nation's
population, got 29 per cent of the money, while Queensland, the
state that gave the Government control of the Senate, was primed
with 49 per cent.

The Opposition, which has obtained the document, branded the
program as a "slush fund" for the Liberal and National parties.
"This information shows the Howard Government effectively bought
the seat of Bass and pork-barrelled extensively throughout
Queensland and Tasmania," said Labor's regional development
spokesman, Kelvin Thomson.

Last week, the Prime Minister, John Howard, admitted that the
minister then in charge of the program, De-Anne Kelly, had breached
the code of ministerial conduct in relation to one project.

NSW, which has 33.4 per cent of the nation's population, got 13
per cent of the funds.

Significant funding was also awarded to projects in targeted
city seats, even though the grants were for regions, Mr Thomson
said. This included $50,000 for a skate park and $15,000 for the
scout troop in the Melbourne seat of Deakin, in which the Liberal
Party increased its majority.

"The Government has been claiming that this program is about
funding regional and rural Australia," Mr Thomson said. "They were
quite prepared to fund city-based electorates where it suited their
electoral purposes."

Tasmania did by far the best for funding. Among the projects
that won grants were a new $1 million public swimming pools for
Devonport and Burnie, a skateboard park for Queenstown, bike tracks
and rowing facilities, $300,000 for upgrading Hobart's Bellerive
cricket ground, $250,000 for the "Emu Valley Rhododendron
Gardens-interpretation/Visitor Centre", in Burnie, and $1,750,000
for the "North East Chinese Heritage Trail of the Tim Dragon".

Ms Kelly has been attacked over the grants. A $1.2 million grant
she ticked off for a north Queensland firm, A2 Milk, was rescinded
after a court found A2 guilty of misleading advertising. At the
time, she was being advised by a senior National Party figure and
lobbyist for A2, Ken Crooke.

The Government confirmed the email's veracity, but did not
comment further. A Senate inquiry into the use of the program will
begin early next year.